We are trying to analyze the main issue surrounding the Uzbekistan national team in recent days. Paulo Bento arrived in Tashkent. The Portuguese specialist is expected to sign a contract with the Uzbekistan national team in the coming days. Currently, the national team is preparing for the CAFA Cup under the leadership of Timur Kapadze.
Like any important decision that determines the near future of the Uzbekistan national team and Uzbek football in general, this news is being actively discussed on social networks. The people were divided into two categories - supporters of Bentu's appointment and supporters of Timur Tahirovich. There is also a third category of people: they remain neutral and wait for the next events. However, such people are not very numerous.
Let's try to understand the logic of the decision made. For this, let's return to the period approximately one year ago. At that time, problems with Srechko Katanets's health were already known. He was unable to participate in several matches of the Uzbekistan national team, and his assistants took his place. It was clear that Katanec would not have the opportunity to work with the team at the 2026 World Cup.
At that time, the UFA should have started considering Katanets's replacement. However, the Uzbekistan national team was facing decisive matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In the conditions of time constraints, the only justified decision was made - Timur Kapadze was appointed head coach of the team. He worked successfully with the Uzbekistan U-23 national team and "Olimpik," and also knew the local players very well. Perhaps this last factor played a decisive role. It would be very risky to appoint a foreign coach who doesn't know local football on the eve of important matches. Foreign coaches spend at least a few months on this, and some do not understand the essence of Uzbek football at all.
A ticket to the 2026 World Cup has been secured. Temur Kapadze skillfully used the "legacy" left by Srechko Katanes. Temur Tohirovich refrained from making drastic changes in both tactics and the squad. It's neither right to belittle nor overestimate Kapadze's contribution: he fulfilled his duty by extending a helping hand to his national team in a difficult situation and taking responsibility without hesitation. Undoubtedly, Katanec had completed 85-90% of the work on his way to the World Cup. However, those same 10-15 percent are often missing, and Kapadze managed to add this to the overall achievement.
But immediately another question arose: what to do next, how to prepare for the first world championship in the country's history?
As early as June, initial rumors about who could lead the Uzbekistan national team began to circulate. There were many candidates - From Lev to Terim. However, it has become clear that they are being sought among "outstanding" coaches with experience working with national teams at a high level, especially in major competitions.
Paulo Bento appeared on the list of candidates relatively recently. Apparently, a quick agreement was reached with him. The Portuguese specialist has significant experience: he worked at Sporting for a long time, managed the Portuguese national team, and is well-versed in Asian football - he was the head coach of the South Korean and UAE national teams. However, he did not achieve great success with the national teams in major competitions: he failed to lead the UAE national team to the 2026 World Cup and lost to Tajikistan in the 1/8 finals of the Asian Cup in a penalty shootout. With the South Korean national team, his best result was the 1/8 finals of the World Cup and the 1/4 finals of the Asian Cup. With the Portuguese, he reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in 2012, but did not advance further to the group stage at the 2014 World Cup. If we evaluate the specific results achieved with the national teams, his performance appears contradictory.
It's important to understand why Bentu is being called up and what is expected of him at the 2026 World Cup. Getting out of the group or just "participating appropriately" in the tournament? If the goal of reaching the playoffs is set, and the Uzbekistan national team fails to achieve this, what consequences could this lead to? It is also unknown for how long the Portuguese coach will be invited, as the Asian Cup will be held in January-February 2027 six months after the 2026 World Cup.
So far, there is no precise information about the fate of Timur Kapadze. Internal information has spread that he could manage Pakhtakor. But will he remain with the national team as an assistant to Paulo Bento? Will Timur Takhirovich accept such a task?
In my opinion, without a "guide" to the world of Uzbek football, it will be very difficult for Bentu. For the Portuguese coach, this could be Timur Kapadze. During Bentu's time in Asia, he had only one local assistant - the Korean Tae-wook Choi. The UAE national team did not have such an assistant for the Portuguese coach.
In football, the word "if" doesn't apply. We don't know what will happen if Paulo Bento joins the Uzbekistan national team. Similarly, we don't know what the team would be like under Temur Kapadze. True, perhaps Bentu is not the most suitable choice for the Uzbekistan national team. However, we can only see how good the Portuguese coach is at the 2026 World Cup, because it is the result that determines the coach. Although Srechko Katanec was repeatedly criticized for his lackluster playing style, he largely secured a place in the World Cup and delivered a result.
After all, no one asks us, ordinary football fans, who to appoint as head coach. Neither ordinary fans nor journalists. It's difficult to please everyone, because there are still people who are dissatisfied or dissatisfied with something. The decision will be made by the country's football leadership and they will take responsibility. We will see in a year how justified this choice will be.
Nikolay Yegorichev
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